This invention relates generally to the field of soft golf cart covers, specifically to an improved door opening that quickly and reliably opens and closes to protects the passengers from cold, wind and rain, while also improving entry and exit convenience.
Golf cart covers are utilized today to protect the occupants from cold, wind and rain. The covers generally wrap cart openings in front, sides and rear with vinyl, cloth or other materials.
Golf carts typically have hard top covers to protect the occupants from the sunlight. Golf cart covers generally attach to or are supported by the top of the cart and have the side panels of the cover secured to the body of the cart
Golf cart covers today are one of two types. One type is installed semi-permanently and remains on throughout the cold weather season. The second type is portable and loosely shaped to fit most cart manufacturers. The portable covers tend to be either over-the-top models with four sides or under-the-top models with three sides.
Most patented golf cart cover products in the market today, use zippered openings to enable ingress and egress. Since portable golf cart covers must fit a variety of carts from different manufacturers, the zippered openings typically have a closed end at the top to ensure the zippers can be reliably opened and closed. This closed end results in a very small opening for ingress and egress. The zippers must accommodate different degrees of tension to accommodate the different sizes and shapes of golf cart models, which results in zipper tension during closing and opening causing zipper failure over time.
Cart cover zippers are manufactured, using one of three designs:
In the first zipper design (FIG. 2), the door has two vertical zippers. The occupants must unzip one or both of the zippers to enable exit. With only one zipper raised the top opening is again small and difficult for occupants to enter and exit. When both zippers are raised the opening is much larger however the occupant must re-lower both zippers to close off cold, wind and rain.
In the second zipper design (FIG. 3), the cart cover side has a single vertical zipper that is raised or lowered for the occupant to enter and exit the enclosure. This zipper type opens towards the top of the cart side, which results in a very small opening that tends to be difficult for large occupants to enter or exit.
In the third zipper design (FIG. 4), the door has a curved zipper that forms a small swing away door with a larger door opening. While this is an improvement over vertical zippered doors the occupant must still deal with the inherent unreliability of zippers.
Most golf cart covers have doors or sides that roll-up during good weather to enable easier ingress and egress. The roll-up approach can be time-consuming and difficult during cold conditions since the vinyl used becomes less pliable and does not easily bend or roll. This vertical roll-up process was implemented to allow for airflow during improved weather and to enable easier ingress and egress, especially for large occupants
Golf cart zippers are inherently unreliable. Because zippers are mechanical, they are prone to break, and tear. Most portable covers when installed can stretch a door side, which adds tension on the zippers and contributes to door zipper failure. The teeth snag in material, thread, vinyl or plastic. The teeth can get out of sync with each other and bend or break. Zippers can separate from material over time, due to shrinking, caused by weather. Because of limited entrance and exit space the teeth can snag in clothing. In short, there is a high probability that zippers will jam or fail over time.
Therefore, an improved golf cart cover door, using magnet strip technology, that eliminates zippers, swings open horizontally to create a spacious opening and eliminates the need to perform rollup and strapping tasks is desired and needed.